Job Posting: Research Analyst
Organization: McKinsey & Company
Location: Waltham, MA

•Which American cities make the best call center locations and why?
•How will the supply of drinking water in North America keep up with the shifting demand, and who will make the biggest profits from this shift?
•How much does the average small business spend on office supplies, and what do they look for in a potential supplier?
•What are the respective roles of government, universities and corporations in public-private partnerships for scientific research & development?
•Could you quickly and reliably develop an answer?

Position Description:
Research Analyst – United States and Canada business information

Overview:
McKinsey & Company is looking for Research Analysts to join a business research team of 8-10 analysts. The position will be based at the North American Knowledge Center (NAKC), located in Waltham, MA (20 minutes west of Boston). The United States and Canada team conducts research, focused in those geographies, across a wide variety of topics, as they apply to business decision making.

Description of position:
The primary job responsibilities for Research Analysts are to support the research needs of consulting teams, and to contribute to the development of McKinsey’s internal knowledge.

•Consulting team support. As a Research Analyst, you will work with consultants to understand, disaggregate, and prioritize their research and information needs. You will identify the key issues for the team and determine the most appropriate solution, effectively balancing quality, availability, timeliness, and cost factors. By leveraging broad information source knowledge and your understanding of McKinsey’s global network of knowledge professionals, you will efficiently collect, summarize, and synthesize the relevant facts. Research end products delivered to consulting teams include charts, tables, frameworks, written summaries and fact packs. Where appropriate, you will guide consultants in the use of online knowledge resources and systems.

•Knowledge development. You will be expected to develop a broad knowledge of US and/or Canadian information sources, and are likely to begin to develop one or two industry or functional spikes, depending on the needs of the team. You will also share your knowledge with colleagues and help to build their expertise. You will contribute to the continuous task of building and managing a state-of-the art knowledge infrastructure by reviewing and selecting information sources, establishing links to external experts, and developing and maintaining relevant library materials and databases. In addition to developing your knowledge, you will share it actively with your colleagues and thus contribute to the overall professional growth of more junior colleagues and to that of peers in your specific area of expertise.

Desired Skills: We seek candidates who are passionate about, and have experience in business research and information gathering. Specifically we are looking for candidates that meet the following criteria:

•Passion for conducting business research work in a dynamic environment, where you can expect to address diverse topics including company and industry facts, demographics, economics, the regulatory and legal environment, and the public sector on a daily basis
•Deep understanding of a broad spectrum of business information sources and tools, along with the resourcefulness to identify and engage external experts for primary research on broad business issues
•Intellectual curiosity and a passion for research, along with excellent problem-solving, analytical, and quantitative skills
•Superb people skills, strong team-orientation, and a professional attitude
•First rate written and verbal communication skills in English. Fluency in French is a significant advantage for Canada focused analysts
•Ability to interact effectively at all levels of a large organization

Background: We value diverse academic and work experience backgrounds, with minimum expectations being:

•An undergraduate degree, from a respected institution, with demonstrated research experience is required. Concentration or advanced work in library and information science (e.g. MLIS) is a plus. For those without related work experience, an advanced degree is required.
•At least 2 years of industry or business experience in a research or library setting is required for candidates who do not have an advanced degree.

Other Details:

•Location is Waltham, Massachusetts.
•Remuneration will be in line with industry standards
•Relocation allowance is offered

Visit our website to learn more about research at the Knowledge Center and about this opportunity:
http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/knowledge_center/opportunities